The big team is back

Week Ending 20 March

Tuesday, and it's back on the culvert inspections. Dave and Nigel began the day by going up to Stanton. Culvert 11A was flowing well following the rebuild in 2019. The toe along to Culvert 11B is reasonably dry which is a good sign. Pictures and report from Dave.

Culvert 11A up side outlet channel

Culvert 11A runs under Bridge 11

Culvert 11B outlet to the field

Up to the siphon. Culvert 7A and the up side washout from the failing headwall seems to be stable, at least the hole hasn't grown.

Culvert 7A up side, outlet headwall

At Bridge 6 a few more barrow loads of silt were removed from the high mileage side of the gully drains, then they decided that it was really at least a 3-man, 2-wheelbarrow job 😒

Bridge 6 low mileage abutment

Next bit of interest was Culvert 5A down side, a pool of water has formed at the inlet, the silt trap is working, on the up side, the outlet ditch doesn't have a much fall so it's neve a raging torrent. They spotted some stagnant water in the ditch at around the mid-point between 5A and 5B, again, the ditch here needs digging out to get the water to flowing.

Toe ditch between Culverts 5B and 5A

Nothing else much to report, all is in working order.

Friday

A team of 5 in to shift the pea shingle washed out from the counterfort drain on the down, low mileage side of Bridge 33 at Dixton Cutting. In tandem, the culverts between Gotherington Yard and Greet Tunnel were checked as the team travelled past. Pictures here from Andrew.

Stop board out to protect the workers
(Possession obtained before starting)

Washed out ballast from the counterfort drain

Barrow crossing employed

The view from the top

Sweeping the ballast

Dumpy bags of recovered pea shingle

After a hard day on the shovel, the site is fully cleared. Next job is to get 8 tonnes of 20/40mm stone to replace the shingle backfill. That's a bit too much to hand shovel so it might have to wait for a digger 😉

Success

Down side cess drain uncovered

The bank on the up side of Culvert 32A has collapsed, it's been undermined over the winter evidently. Not much can be done here, it'll all wash away in the next flood.